Local libraries busy with youth, adult reading programs

Saturday

Jun 21, 2014 at 3:00 AM

As students across the county say goodbye to school for the summer, they are saying hello to public libraries.

By RENEE BINDEWALDTimes-News Staff Writer

As students across the county say goodbye to school for the summer, they are saying hello to public libraries.Loree Kelly, Youth Services coordinator for the Henderson County Public Library, said it's a busy time of year as they roll out their biggest program — summer reading.“When the kids are out of school, they come to the public library and we love having them all come in,” Kelly said. “We want the library to be a gathering place for children and families in our community, and we want them to know everything that's available at their public library.”For children up to age 11, the reading program allows them to track each 15 minutes of reading they have done or time they have been read to. For each increment, they can cross off, color in or sticker a circle on their summer reading log, which is a maze leading to an end goal of 375 minutes.Once they get to the halfway point, they are eligible for a sticker or pencil prize, and if they make it to the end, they can pick up a free paperback book.Participants in the Teen Summer Reading Program (youths in sixth through 12th grades) must read six age-appropriate books and track how long it took to read for a free book, but they will also be entered to win in the grand prize drawings.For each reading log submitted, teens get a chance to win this year's teen grand prize — a Kindle Fire HDX. There are also two $23 gift cards for Fountainhead Bookstore and two $25 gift certificates for EPIC Theaters.All children's and teen reading logs are due back to the library by Aug. 4 to be entered in the drawings.“With the kids, too, if we've got a fourth-grader and a 3-year-old joining the program, if the fourth-grader reads to the 3-year-old, that counts for the 3-year-old and the fourth-grader, so older brothers and sisters can read to the younger brothers and sisters and it counts for them too,” Kelly said.This summer also sparks the start of the Adult Summer Reading Program. Adults can fill out a log for reading books, e-books, newspapers, magazines, listening to audio books and reading to children. For every three items read, adults can turn in their log and be entered to win an iPad Mini, movie tickets or restaurant gift certificates. Adult reading logs must be turned in by July 31 to be eligible for the drawing.Throughout the summer, the library also hosts workshops, classes and activities ranging from teen filmmaking workshops and musical performances to a teddy bear sleepover for kids at the library.For more information on the library and its programs, visit www.henderson.lib.nc.us or call 697-4725.___Reach Bindewald at renee.bindewald@blueirdgenow.com or 828-694-7890.